Family Values

By: Paige Costa
Posted In: Entertainment

For family advice columnist Dan Burns, life is much easier on paper. Dan is a little bit sad, a little over protective and a little pathetic when it comes to relationships.

Dan in Real Life is a movie about a father of three young girls and a lonely widower, played by Steve Carell. In the classic tradition of not taking one’s own advice, Dan struggles to keep his girls from growing up, not permitting dates or driving despite their pleas and tantrums.

The annual family trip to Rhode Island sparks an unexpected change in Dan’s lacking life. Dan packs daughters Jane, Kara and Lilly into his faded, pumpkin-colored Mercedes station wagon, but not without a fight. The audience quickly finds this is a frequent occurrence. Dan is a good father, as his youngest mentions, “but sometimes a bad Dad.”

At the request of his mother, played by Dianne Wiest, Dan takes a trip into town and stumbles upon a love he thought he would never find again.

Unsuspecting Dan skims through shelves of the bookstore when his dream weaver saunters in. The captivating and utterly glowing French stranger, Marie, played by Juliette Binoche, is looking for something. Something “funny, but humanly funny”, something that “sneaks up and surprises”, something that makes her think, something that has a “certain rightness in its wrongness”, something she can be “swept up by and feel deep connection to.” She is talking about a book, but unknowingly is describing Dan.

One planet-sized blueberry muffin, two coffees, and a long conversation later, Marie’s clock has struck 12. She dashes off, and Dan fears he will never see his mystery woman again. Alas, our hero has nothing to fear, he will see her again and soon. The first twist: she’s in his parent’s living room. Second twist: she’s the new girlfriend of his personal training brother, Mitch, played by Dane Cook.

Dan’s heart drops in a way the audience can practically hear. What follows is a never ending series of awkward moments, inappropriate jokes, uncomfortable family activities, and interfamily quarrels. The Norman Rockwell-esque moments of candlelit family dinners, crossword puzzle races, touch football and a talent show are all tainted by an uncomfortable air of denial mixed with jealousy.

An array of calamities add insult to injury, such as run-ins with the police and an infatuated teenager. Dan tries his best to keep his feelings for Marie undetected, and is hysterically misunderstood by his family and children.

Dan’s three girls push, possibly harder, than poor Dan can manage to pull. Through the whirling chaos of slamming doors, sarcastic remarks, and screeching pleas for freedom, the girls stick together in the end to help their sometimes clueless father.

Not exactly your typical romantic comedy, writer/director Peter Hedges contrasts the warm, cozy setting of a log cabin with the uncomfortable humor of Meet the Parents. Without breaking tradition, Hedges dissects family life with his camera lens in Dan in Real Life, although magnifying a far less dysfunctional family than that of his previous films Pieces of April and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.

Steve Carell manages to yet again show the diversity of his acting ability through Dan in Real Life, careful to stay away from the humor of his The Office character, and also from the hoity, scholarly role of Little Miss Sunshine. Carell brilliantly balances patient father, hopeless widower, and frustrated lover, all the while playing a good sport as the brunt of everyone’s jokes. And in the grand tradition of romantic comedies, the audience sympathizes with Dan, and desperately hopes he’ll get the girl.

Juliette Binoche’s endearing French accent and contagious laugh lend realism to the films premise, after all, who wouldn’t fall in love with her? Binoche’s subtle sexiness and cultured spirit transmit to Marie, who the audience can also see as a suitable mother-figure for Dan’s three growing (and hormonal) girls. It all seems to fit, if it weren’t for that damned Dane Cook (Mitch).

Perfect for a rainy day inside, even better for leftovers and a rental night, Dan in Real Life guarantees heartwarming and humor, and will probably make you want to give your Mom a call. It’s always available though your local RedBox provider; consider it a dollar well spent.